India–Sri Lanka Foundation directors in key talks
The 40th Meeting of the Board of Directors of the India–Sri Lanka Foundation (ISLF) was convened in Colombo, reaffirming the foundation’s ongoing commitment to fostering bilateral cooperation between India and Sri Lanka.
Mr. Santosh Jha, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, and Ms. Mahishini Colonne, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India, co-chaired the session.
Also in attendance were board members of the foundation: Ambassador Mohan Kumar, Mr. Ashok Malik, Ambassador Prasad Kariyawasam, and Ambassador Esala Weerakoon.
During the meeting, the board reviewed the progress of ongoing projects and approved several new proposals submitted to the Colombo and New Delhi Secretariats.
These initiatives span a wide range of sectors, including culture, education, health, environment, agriculture, and capacity building.
The newly endorsed projects reflect the Foundation’s strategic focus on strengthening people-to-people ties and promoting sustainable development across both nations.
Among the approved initiatives are academic collaborations in library science and the visual and performing arts, cultural workshops and tourism promotion activities, microbiome engineering research aimed at preventing plant diseases in Sri Lanka, and awareness programs addressing cancer and menstrual health for vulnerable communities.
The Board also endorsed training opportunities for Sri Lankan health professionals in India, women’s empowerment workshops and support programs for underprivileged groups, capacity-building efforts for fisheries officials, and knowledge-sharing programs in science and environmental conservation, including mangrove restoration in coastal regions.
Established on 28 December 1998 through a Memorandum of Understanding between the governments of India and Sri Lanka, the ISLF aims to enhance bilateral relations by promoting economic, scientific, educational, technical, and cultural cooperation.
Since its inception, the foundation has supported approximately 600 projects valued at over LKR 200 million, with more than 360 of these implemented in Sri Lanka.